West Calder, 13 - 19 Main Street, Co-operative Stores

Town Centre

Of the three public monuments that used to identify the centre, 13-19 Main Street, 1913, William Baillie, is the only survivor: pretty, smart (despite its current ghastly fascia) Co-operative building, tall three-storey patterned-stone emporium, openwork iron crown flanked by two crowstepped gables from which project bay windows Replaced by the Royal Bank, the People's Palace, c.1885, by J G Fairley, was a tall spiky confection like a fixed fairground comprising clock-tower, thistle tower and viewing gallery. Another Co-operative building, 1884, by J G Fairley, was demolished to make way for Union Square. A pedimented clock stands proud in one corner with a bronze plaque in memory of the 15 men who died in the Burngrange disaster in January 1947.

Taken from "West Lothian: An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Stuart Eydmann, Richard Jaques and Charles McKean, 2008. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk